I stayed in Lausanne, a city located along Lake Geneva in Switzerland, for three days.
Monday, 8 December
In the morning, I woke up feeling tired because I hadn’t slept well. Let me explain the apartment I booked through Airbnb. After I arrived, the host gave me a very short house tour—where my room was, the Wi-Fi, and how to check out. He also mentioned that another person lives there permanently. He left the flat shortly afterward.
The window in my room was open, and I immediately noticed a strong smell of cigarettes. I think he noticed it too and opened the window to air it out. I had nothing to do in the evening and was tired from traveling, so I stayed in the flat. On the way there, I bought some sandwiches from a boulangerie, so I didn’t have to worry about dinner.
However, staying in the room was difficult because of the smell. During the night, I woke up around 1 AM and couldn’t fall asleep again. I moved to the kitchen, where there was a small couch, because I felt uncomfortable sleeping in the room. The couch was so small that I had to curl myself up to fit on it. The sleep was absolutely brutal. That’s why I felt exhausted when I woke up.
I quickly packed everything and left the flat. It took about 30 minutes on foot to get to the nearest station, and my old suitcase doesn’t roll smoothly, so by the time I arrived, I was sweating a lot. I took a direct train from Annemasse to Lausanne, which took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Although I had bought a ticket, nobody checked it. I’m sure many passengers don’t pay for tickets on the train.
At the station, I met a Japanese person whom I had contacted beforehand, and he picked me up. Thankfully, he let me stay at his house. He is a full-time Judo teacher in Lausanne and about seven years older than I am. He is also the youngest and the first Japanese person I have ever met in Europe.
Since he had a lesson at 1 PM, we had a quick lunch at an Italian pizza shop he knows very well. He ordered several kinds of square-cut pizza for me. In the afternoon, his schedule was packed with Judo lessons until about 9 PM, and I joined all of them.
After the lessons, he drove me to his house, located in the countryside far from the city center. The house is lovely, and I slept in a loft space. I briefly greeted his Japanese wife, who had prepared dinner for us. I was so glad to eat a Japanese-style meal (rice with different side dishes). It was delicious and gave me a sense of being back home in Japan. I went to bed around midnight.
Tuesday, 9 December
I woke up around 8:30 AM, and we had breakfast together—a small piece of cake and a cup of coffee. Then we left for an interview and recording session for a Judo magazine. I was asked to be the UKE, the partner who receives the techniques, during the filming.
I also met a famous Japanese Judo teacher in France and Switzerland who was being interviewed. He is over 70 years old and has already retired from teaching; the younger Judo teacher has taken over. The filming lasted more than 4 hours. Since they spoke in French, I could barely understand the content, but I learned many Judo exercises and movements they demonstrated.
We had a quick lunch—spaghetti and tiramisu—that he bought from a nearby Italian shop. After that, there were lessons again until 9 PM. I was impressed by how many and how long the Judo lessons were throughout the day. I taught a technique in the adult class.
After practice, I was invited to dinner at the home of the famous Judo teacher I had met that morning. Two Judo journalists from Paris who conducted the interviews also joined, along with the wives of each teacher. We ate a Japanese hot pot, 鍋 (NABE), made with bouillon soup. I hadn’t had it since I was in the US, so I was excited and enjoyed it a lot. I also tried desserts made by his wife, and they were fantastic.
Watching the younger and older Judo teachers interact reminded me of Japanese social culture—they joked around, but there was still a lot of respect and a clear sense of age hierarchy. We stayed at his house until about 1:30 AM, and I went to bed around 2 AM.
Wednesday, 10 December
I woke up in the morning still full from the previous night’s dinner. We went to a supermarket, bought breakfast—a croissant and coffee—and headed to the Judo dojo to finish the final interviews and recordings. Unlike the first session, this one lasted only about two hours.
I had nothing to do afterward, while the young Judo teacher had lessons from 1 PM to 9 PM. So after the interview, he dropped me off at a massive grape vineyard. The lake view was spectacular, although the vines were withered. I wish I could have seen it in the summer when the orchard is full and vibrant.
After walking along the lake, I took a train to a relatively big city for lunch. I was shocked by how expensive everything was. I went into a large shopping mall with a food court and decided to get a hamburger. It cost 19 euros just for a small beef burger and French fries. I don’t think I could live in Switzerland.
After eating, I headed back to Lausanne and spent the afternoon in a cozy coffee shop until the evening Judo class I planned to attend. I returned to the dojo around 6 PM to participate in my last practice there from 7 to 8:30 PM. On the way to the dojo, a big Christmas festival was held, and there were many people who were enjoying it. I enjoyed the training with a lot of Judokas. I love the feeling of being tired and sweaty after Judo.
After practice, I had a can of beer with some older Judo practitioners, which seems to be a common tradition at the dojo. Then I went home. In the evening, his Japanese wife prepared dinner again: seared salmon rice bowl and miso soup. It was incredibly delicious. I realized that our relationship had become much closer since Monday, and we talked a lot. I eventually went to bed around midnight.
In Switzerland, I didn’t do much sightseeing, but I’m glad I was able to observe Judo lessons taught by a Japanese person and meet the famous Judo teacher. It felt like a “Judo camp,” but it was a unique experience where I could speak Japanese and eat Japanese food. Next time, I want to travel around Switzerland and enjoy it like a “normal traveler.”
I left early this morning. He and his wife drove me to the station. Because of traffic, I arrived only five minutes before the train departed. I’m glad I made it. I’m writing this on a train heading to Cologne, Germany. I just booked an apartment there on Airbnb today. I have Judo training this evening. The next journal will be about my stay in Germany.